Summary
The recently releasedCall of Duty: Modern Warfare 3is already drawing a lot of criticism towards its core multiplayer modes, with debates over things like skill-based matchmaking still being quite prominent. While the title has received a lot of flack for the extent to which it has borrowed assets from past releases, the unique changes that the game has introduced are also coming under fire.
This is best evidenced in the new Armory system forCall of Duty: Modern Warfare 3, which has completely changed how the franchise approaches multiplayer progression and equipment unlocks. While there are some positive elements of how the new Armory system switches things up, it has also generated an intense amount of criticism that paintsMW3’s Armory as one of the most divisive elements of the release.
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Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3’s Armory Puts a Limit on Unlocks
Multiplayer progression has always been a defining part ofCall of Duty’s popular multiplayer system. With the franchise’s patented create-a-class system, players have long been able to work towards unlocking certain equipment, weapons, attachments, killstreaks, and more, to completely fine-tune their approach toCoD’s competitive multiplayer scene.
This approach to unlocks has usually been defined by simple leveling systems, with players unlocking broader mechanics through naturally leveling up, while more unique unlocks like specific weapon attachments come from leveling up a weapon itself. This has all changed withModern Warfare 3, with the title deciding that a new Armory unlock system would be a good way to shake up the longstandingpast approaches to progression withinCall of Duty.
MW3’s Armory system becomes available to players at level 25, at which point fans will be inundated with a wide range of potential unlocks. In all, the following features are directly locked behind the Armory system:
These categories encompass a huge range ofMW3’s multiplayer customization options, making the Armory system extremely important, whether fans like it or not. Each unlock requires a certain amount of “unlock points” to become available, ranging from two to eight, with players having to complete daily challenges to rack up this form of unlock currency. Once a player’s three daily challenges have been exhausted, more unlock points can be amassed from winning online matches, although this can be a lengthy and arduous process.
Modern Warfare 3’s Armory Has Split the Community
Many fans enjoy thisnew approach to unlocks inModern Warfare 3, with the importance of daily challenges offering an addictive grind that ties unlocks directly to tangible objectives, as opposed to simply reaching a certain level. On the other hand, the Armory system is seen as massively controversial in some spaces, and many fans cannot understand why Sledgehammer Games tried to fix a system that was not broken.
To begin with, keeping the Armory system locked until level 25 can create a sense of frustration due to locked progression, as fans are greatly limited in what equipment they can use until they reach this point. With players only having three daily challenges, racking up enough unlock points can become a time-consuming process that cheaply tries to keep players grinding away.
The amount of content that is locked behind the Armory system makes it one of the most invasive mechanics in the game, with players having no choice but to engage with it if they want to experience the full breadth ofMW3’s multiplayer features. While there are some benefits to the Armory system allowing players to choose what unlocks they want to work towards, the drawn-out time-sensitive approach it takes to unlocking important features makes it an understandably divisive element ofModern Warfare 3.
